Non-thermal plasma treatment is associated with changes in transcriptome of human epithelial skin cells

Abstract

Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma has recently gained attention in the field of biomedical and clinical applications. In the area of plasma medicine research, one promising approach is to promote wound healing by stimulation of cells involved. To understand basic molecular and cellular mechanisms triggered by plasma treatment, we investigated biological effects of an argon plasma jet kinpen on human epithelial skin cells. For assessment of transcriptome changes cell culture medium was plasma treated and applied to the HaCaT keratinocyte cell culture (indirect treatment). Consequently, whole-genome microarrays were used to analyze this interaction in detail and identified a statistically significant modification of 3,274 genes including 1,828 up- and 1,446 downregulated genes. Particularly, cells after indirect plasma treatment are characterized by differential expression of a considerable number of genes involved in the response to stress. In this regard, we found a plasma-dependent regulation of oxidative stress answer and increased expression of enzymes of the antioxidative defense system (e.g. 91 oxidoreductases). Our results demonstrate that plasma not only induces cell reactions of stress-sensing but also of proliferative nature. Consistent with gene expression changes as well as Ingenuity Pathway Analysis prediction, we propose that stimulating doses of plasma may protect epithelial skin cells in wound healing by promoting proliferation and differentiation. In conclusion, gene expression profiling may become an important tool in identifying plasma-related changes of gene expression. Our results underline the enormous clinical potential of plasma as a biomedical tool for stimulation of epithelial skin cells.

Keywords::

• non-thermal plasma
• plasma medicine
• gene expression
• epithelial skin cells
• oxidative stress
• wound healing
• ROS
• antioxidative defense

Acknowledgements

The authors especially thank Dr. Dirk Koczan (Immunology, University of Rostock) for his helpful comments and support with software analysis, and Liane Kantz for her distinguished technical support. This work was realized within the framework of the multi-disciplinary research center ZIK plasmatis which is funded by German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (grant number 03Z2DN11).

Declaration of interest

The authors report no declarations of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.